Vitali Kopelenko faced Steven Butler tonight in a 10 round fight that ended in a split decision in Butler’s favor. Bobby Hitz, Kopelenko’s promoter, had this to say about the fight:

There was a lot on the line – in the end Kopylenko came up short. It was a close fight, but Kopylenko outperformed Butler. He threw more punches, pressed the action, and his defense made Butler miss over and over again. I don’t agree with the scorecards that had Butler winning it. Butler had his moments but not enough to win.

I, along with many of the fans watching, would love a rematch. I don’t think this hurts Vitali’s standing – people (other than his team) didn’t expect him to win, and in my eyes, in the eyes of Dave Moretti, the judge, and in the eyes of the people booing after the decision, he did.

I hope Butler will give Kopylenko the rematch that he and the fans deserve.